Saturday, April 16, 2016

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Around this time in 2015, Florida A&M tennis coach Carl Goodman was happy just to watch his team take the court.

FAMU’s tennis team had been suspended in June 2014 by then-Athletic Director Kellen Winslow, who said the move was a cost-saving measure. Goodman said his group stayed together through adversity, and was ready to play when D’Wayne Robinson, the school’s interim athletic director at the time, reinstated the team in January 2015.

It didn’t take long for the team to return to form.

The Rattlers battled rival Bethune-Cookman on Saturday for an outright MEAC Southern Division title. The Rattlers lost 4-3, but are still 3-1 in conference play heading into the MEAC tournament, which is starts April 21 at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va.

“It’s been a long, long, long journey with a lot of hard work,” Goodman said.CONTINUE READING